New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-28
THE GREAT DICTIONARY.
AN EXHAUSTIVE WORK.

AN EAdAO6l4f6 VOnAs
vrv pvnr ysH DICTIONARY on Historical Princi-
Wounded Isiny on the Materials CSl'fGs Mu ~
RAY Part iii. Batter-Boz 4to. OXFORD Az tne
Clarendon Presa New-York: Macmillan q Co.
How far the scope of the new English dictionary
that of ts largest rivals may be estimated
nv 4 random comparison between lew pages Oh
ths in.talmen, and the parallel portions Of such
,vo,k A. Worcestera Each book is printed with
thr.. columus to page. the @New English" how
ever. having much more compact type than the
other As we'll as longer and WIDER page Inc
titles from Batter to Bay IN Worccsters unabridged
edition us63) fill just three columns Inc same
.cct,on of the vocabulary in the New Eng'lsh
n;.,;ororvp reouires no less than twenty-five col
umn,. The difference Is caused not only by greater
fr,uess IN the etymolcges, definitions and citations
ot authorities but also by greater completeness IN
the list of words. We notice only two woids !"
Vorcester-both of them terms In natural history
,vhich are not In the New English" Dut the iat'or
Contains in.tho same part of the alphabet no ie"er
than ninety nine words or distinct meanings u
words not counting certain obvious derivatives
b;ch ar. not in Worcester Most Of these are rare
ar obsolete; but it is an important 1unctiou Vi =
dictionary to give just this class OK words' WHICH
savs their place in literature aud their historical
consequences, and the thoroughness with winch III
tias of the language constitutes one OF their
stronpest titles to our gratitude. In chronological
research they certainly leave all competition lar
beh;ud and in the range and character OF their
;,lnstratiye quotations they have accomplished
what no other English photographers have at
tempted.
A striking example of the exhaustive treatment to
~b,ch thew ain at So Injecting everything is afforded
nv the three full columns on the WORD "behind'
Hare Az in some other places, 1t nay be seen that
the distinguishing of fine shades OF meaning mas
been carried to an extreme, but II there 10 1aus IL
i, ON the safe side and nobody Is likely to complain
Of IT, The introduction of slang colloQuiaisms ana
merely local dialect Is likely TO evoke discus
.on. Bnt nearly all words Of this sort are found in
literature, in fiction and journalism If in no other
kind of writing, and if they are not in need OF
learned investigate now they may need 1t here
aftae Besides, an the editor pertinently remarks,
there il no telling when convenient bit OF slang
NAV establish itself in good society," When COLO
ouial or vulgar expression 10 found to meet q pop
ular want it has tendency to work It's way up,
until IL In finally registered in the dictionaries as
@new word" and its origin Is then vainly searched
for in old English or among the lndo-European
roots Bamboozle, blk blizzard, bluff blunder'
bogus booile bosb. box Ia blow), are cited as
words which have thus conquered their place. 1t
fully recognized; and indeed 80 far as We lave
observed. American usage 10 hsbtually taken into
proper accoant In Part II. We had even our use OF
the word barrel in the sense of political cam
uaign fund There is ope instance however, in
which American usage has been singuarly over
lookeA The verb to "boy cots" 10 defined to
combine in refusing to hold relations of any kind,
social or commercial public or private with 10
ne,ghbor) on account OF political or othcr diner
ences. 50 as to punish him for the position he has
taken up, or coerce him into abandoning it,"
When the practice WAS borrowed from the Irish
Land League by tho American trades unions its
uses were greatly extended; aud now in this
country, where the word has ceased to be colo
ouis ism, 1t means great deal more than Dr. Muir
rav.expresses. Beef-steak" is defined only IN the
English kitchen sense. slice cut from the hind
quarters. That is limiting the sense by custom OF
English cooks which does not prevail generally.
Steaks with us may be cut from any of the roasting
ribs as we'll as the rump, etc.
ire popular derivation of beef-eater" tyeoman
Of the gusrd) from the French "buffetier," an
attendant at the buffet. or sideboard, is denounced
az historically baseesa "No such form of the
word as bu etcr exists, and 'beaufet.' which has
been cited as a phonetic link between buffet and
bee eater is merely an eighteenth century bad
spelpg not 80 old As beef-satcr." This means. Of
course that there Is no trace OF the use OF
abuffetier" as an English word tor the yeomen, not
that it does not exist in France for there it is
mon. @Beefeater" is simply slang that has risen; ;
and the popular name tor the gorgeous attendants
in the Tower of London signifies no more than
well-fed ,uenial. "Bean-belly" is a choice bit Of
slang which yet awaits promotion. 1t is nickname
for an inhabtant of Leicestershire where the bean
habit 10 said to be strongly developed. Best" All
. verb meaning to got the better of, is given AS a
colloouiallsun, of which there is an English spec
men rs far back as 1868: I" ] cannot stand quiet
and see the Dissenters best the Establishment"
But it is a hdeous abuse of language which never
ought to be heard outside the prize ring 1t has not
even the merit Of aptitude; to best" really means
@to worst"
Belace," as q sea-term, meaning to fasten, Is a
curious example of the persstency of error and it
also illustrates the thoroughness of DIR. Murray in
going back of the standard authorities. The word
seems to be unknown ut sea- and 1t js no: found IN
literature In fact, it ha, no existence except in
the dictionaries. Bailey's octave dictionary of
1921 has beage also Delay tsea term TO fasten
nny running rope" etc, and this is correct In the
folio OF 1880. probably by o bunder. belage was
changed to belace, and the entry was split in two,
beace (sea terml, to fasten any rope" and Delay
to fasteu any running rope" johnson copied the
mistake from Bailey, and finally in 1888 the editor
of q new edition of Bailey copied johnson, adding
the fictitious belace to the original belage" and
"beay." From that tin the sea term ran its cen
tury's course ct ease Now we may hope that 1t has
been stopped.
GAIL HAMILTON AND ARTHUR RICHHONQ
Chicago Dispatch 10 The Boston Herald.
r C. Kerens informed The Herald correspondent
that Miss Abigail T. Dodge would accord the writer an
newspaper clippings successfully paved the way to
You wish to know whether the signature Arthur
Richmond has been attached to any Of my COM
In The North American Q" she asked The
respondent assured Miss Dodge that she had anticipated
his first question.
20 reply no."
Has Mr. Blaine read them
Yes but he Is quite Ignorant TO their authorship
sDslnA. Ri In India hmm 10